Victory The Rewatchables
Victory poster
Victory

What’s Aged the Best?

Bill Conti's score; the crowd singing the French anthem; the crooked referee; widescreen and HD; Prisoner FC; Pelé's practice scissor kick; POW camps and domesticated British officers; the closing credits; the good Nazi; the announcer; beating Nazis; the soccer; Pelé

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:07Read transcript
  • The music: Bill Conti is the goat, and this may be the number one sports-movie score, with dire, comeback, celebration and evil themes.
  • The crowd singing what is believed to be the French national anthem before the penalty gives goosebumps; one sings along without knowing the language.
  • The crooked referee is in the bag for the Nazis; the Allies play down a man for about 70 minutes and still tie.
  • Widescreen and HD reinvented the movie; it is a top-five thank-God-for-HD film.
  • The team calls itself Prisoner FC, noticed on about the 57th screening; someone should make the jerseys.
  • Pele's scissor kick on Sly in practice is amazing, and his final goal resembles a Champions League scissor-kick goal against Leverkusen.
  • POW camps are always a killer premise, especially British officers who have domesticated the camp with sweaters, pipes and gardening, like Colonel Waldron.
  • The closing credits listing each player's country helped a pre-internet viewer learn who the players were.
  • The good Nazi who just loves soccer is pulled off, though if so, why not manage the team, resign, or escape with them.
  • The announcer is really good.
  • Beating Nazis at anything, whether recovering archaeological finds, art or diamonds.
  • Stallone ends the Cold War and beats the Nazis in two sports movies within five years.
  • Conti's score is seconded, and the soccer moves feel like 2021 rather than 1943.
  • Pele: Victory is his testament and legacy, bicycle kick and all.